Strings and Sorrow
by Zygella
Summary: Steven knew the Gems wouldn't hurt him... right? He knew the Gems could break free from the monster's hold on their minds, right? They wouldn't hurt him, even though right now, they wanted him dead.
1. Betrayed In The Worst Way

"Garnet! Amethyst! Pearl! Please, you need to snap out of it! You're not like this!"

The gems he thought he knew kept advancing, their eyes pitch black and cold as ice. They stepped closer and closer, weapons at the ready.

Steven backed up even more, away from the Puppetmaster monster as it continued to control his friends. They were going to kill him, and he couldn't save them from its grip.

This mission was too dangerous- even for the Gems. Steven felt like a total failure. And now? He was going to be beaten to death by his own friends.

"Please! Don't hurt me!"

He ultimately backed into a wall, and then the Gems attacked.

"Ah!" Steven cried, pulling up a bubble in fear.

Puppet Garnet destroyed his bubble with one strong punch, her gauntlets collecting small pieces of it before they disappeared. Her lips were draw back in a beast-like snarl, as were Amethyst's and Pearl's.

Steven cowered under their cold, black stares as they began to truly hurt him, the puppet master monster too strong for them to overcome.

Amethyst whipped him twice, once in the face and the other aimed at his body. Pearl almost stabbed him through his chest, but he moved just in time. Instead, however, he felt her spear cut into his side, his shirt slowly turning a darker red.

Steven, in pain from the wounds and a haunting sense of betrayal, made a run for the warp pad. The puppet Gems gave chase.

"No! Please let me be!" He shouted, starting to activate the warp pad to go home and away from that awful place.

But before he could fully activate the pad, Garnet hit him square in the nose. He stumbled back, almost falling out of the pad. Luckily, it activated.

Then the Gems jumped into the warp, and for a moment, Steven thought he was truly going to die.

But as soon as they did, they fell limp, floating unconsciously in the stream.

Steven was breathing heavily and shaking badly, now afraid of his best friends and what they might do to him when they woke up again.

Finally, the warp pad deactivated. He was home. The Gems fell to the ground, groaning and hauling themselves up.

Steven gasped fearfully, backing up to the front door. His nose felt hot, and he realized fresh blood was leaking from there too, and not just the cut on his left side. There was a whip mark on the right side of his face and his left side, overlapping Pearl's slice.

Garnet was the first to fully come to, looking up at Steven and immediately her face turned to one of overwhelming worry.

"Steven!" She called sharply, getting up and advancing towards him. Her gauntlets were stained with some blood from his nose.

Steven screamed, backing up from his friend in terror. In his eyes shone fear, hurt, and betrayal.

"Stay away from me! You.. you've all hurt me enough!" He cried, tears leaking from his eyes.

Garnet stop her advance, looking at him, confused. "Steven, what...?"

She looked at him, and then followed his gaze towards her gauntlets. She then noticed, with absolute horror, that they were stained with blood. HIS blood.

Amethyst and Pearl began to awake as well, weapons still in hand.

Steven yelped and bolted out the door, crying and fearful.

"Wait! Steven!" Garnet shouted, but it was too late. A small trail of blood drops showed his path out the door.

Amethyst and Pearl looked up at Garnet, confused.

"Garnet... why did Steven run away...?"

Garnet stood very still and very silent, staring down at her weapons.

It was then when Pearl noticed the blood on her own weapon, and she now wore a face to match Garnet's.

"Garnet... w-what did we do back there...?" She asked shakily, hoping it wasn't what she feared.

"Something terrible. Something so very terrible..." She choked out, turning to her fellow gems.

They gasped. Under Garnet's shades peeked two streams of glistening tears.

Amethyst grimaced, holding back tears herself. They all knew what they had done, but didn't want it to be true.

"We..." Pearl gulped, tears flowing freely down her own face. "The puppetmaster monster... it made us... h-hurt him?"

Garnet nodded shakily, dismissing her weapons in shame. "What we did back there is unforgivable. Steven is hurt and we were the ones that hurt him..." She muffled a sob with her hand. "There is nothing we can do for Steven that would make him forgive us... he felt so fearful... so betrayed..."

Pearl broke down in wracking sobs, Amethyst hugging her tightly while silent tears slid down her cheeks.

Garnet drew a shuddering breath, wiping away the tears that had found their way past her emotional wall.

"We have to go find him. Steven is hurt and we have to fix this. We made this mess, we have to clean it up." She said determinedly.

Amethyst and Pearl looked at each other.

"But... he's terrified of us now... he'll keep running away..." Pearl shuddered quietly.

"I don't care. I don't care if we have to chase him forever. If we don't try, it just shows that we never even loved him." Garnet replied firmly.

The two gems nodded, drying their tears for the time being and following Garnet as she followed the small blood trail.

The Gems followed the trail into Beach City. For a moment, they feared that Steven had gone running to his father. What would they say to Greg?

But the trail never led to the car wash, instead it lead to the other side of the city, farthest away from the temple. Farthest away from them.

"There he is!" Amethyst shouted, pointing to him. He stood leaning on a sign, the exit from Beach City.

Unfortunately, Steven heard Amethyst's loud voice. He turned around and yelped, bolting off in another direction. Back towards Beach City.

"Steven!" The Gems shouted, and they started after him frantically.

He kept running, looking back for only a second. He whimpered in fear, increasing his speed to as fast as his legs could go.

The Gems chased him for awhile, before they finally saw him go into a space in between two buildings. Garnet hurriedly jumped to the other side, blocking his escape. Amethyst and Pearl stood at the other side.

Steven, still running, slammed right into Garnet and shouted in fear and pain. But before he could back away, she bent down and gathered the boy up in her arms, hugging him firmly but not tight enough to hurt his wounds.

Steven whimpered, shaking in her embrace. He wore the eyes of a scared wild animal and once again the Gems felt tears wanting to break through.

Amethyst and Pearl rushed over and joined Garnet, hugging Steven with her.

Steven shuddered in their grips, fresh tears flowing down his face.

"Steven..." Garnet whispered to the boy gently, "there are no grand gestures we can give to you that would make you forgive us, and we accept our punishments. But we are so sorry for the hurt we've caused you." She began to tear up again, thinking about the face she'd seen back at the warp pad.

"We know we can't regain your trust... what we did back there is unforgivable, even without our right minds. It's our fault... S-steven..." Pearl sobbed, closing her eyes.

The three all had their eyes closed, heads hung in shame, tears freely flowing, burning them with the knowledge of their sins.

Steven started to stop his frantic fear. He realized that they were beating themselves down too hard, he felt their heart-wrenching anguish. His tears changed from fear to emotional pain, and he returned their hugs desperately.

"Guys... please don't cry... It hurts me too much to see you all in such pain... I know it wasn't you in control, I know you would never hurt me on purpose... I'm sorry for running. I just... I didn't know for sure if the monster's grip was still influencing you."

The Gems opened their eyes and were met with a bright smile from the boy. They blinked away their tears and smiled back, but inside they still hurt over what they did.

Steven coughed, some blood from his nose had gotten in his mouth. This snapped the Gems back to reality.

"You need medical attention, now. Gems, back to the temple, quick!" Garnet ordered, scooping up Steven.

The team headed back to the temple together, the fractured trust mended, but their hearts still haunted by the effects of the puppet master monster.


	2. Heal The Heart

**So originally this was to be a sad one-shot. Even before posting I contemplated on it being a multi-chapter story. That's something I haven't done in awhile. I guess you could say I was scared of the outcome. But just about everyone who reviewed wanted more, so that was my wake-up-call.**

**So I hope I've lived to your expectations in this chapter.**

**-Peridot**

* * *

It had been a day after the whole scenario happened. The Gems had patched Steven up with the most care they could possibly muster. He was resting away his trauma now, having stayed without medical attention for too long in the Gems' opinion.

"Do you think he knows that we'll never forgive ourselves, even if he did?" Amethyst asked quietly to the others, who were sitting on the couch below his room.

"I don't know. But how can we forgive ourselves? We hurt someone we love..." Garnet whispered with a sigh.

"Steven's too smart to be oblivious. He knows when we're emotionally unstable. He always does." Pearl mumbled.

The three of them sat in silence, deep in their thoughts, when they heard a creaking sound. Steven was at the base of the stairway, rubbing an eye sleepily.

"Steven!" The Gems called, walking over to the boy.

"Hey..." He yawned, swaying on his feet a tiny bit.

"Steven, you should be resting. Why are you up?"

"I..." he hesitated. "I didn't feel... safe... alone."

They looked at him sadly. "We'll stay with you while you rest, if it will make you feel better."

Steven gave a tired smile and they all climbed up the stairs.

Pearl tucked Steven back into bed and Amethyst turned the T.V. on, putting the volume down to the lowest setting without it being mute.

The Gems were silent once more, and Steven knew they were still beating themselves too hard over what _A MONSTER_ made them do. They were punishing themselves where he had forgiven them. Realizing this made him want to cry for them, but he wanted to stay strong for their sake.

Instead, Steven reached his hands for his friends'. He grabbed Pearl's and Garnet's, tugging at them to come closer.

They did as he wished, coming close until they lay right beside him. Fearlessly, he cuddled them both, trying to make them feel better. Amethyst shape shifted into a cat and lay on top of Steven's chest while still half-watching the T.V.

For this moment, Steven felt completely content. He began to drift, grateful that his kind and loving friends were back uninhibited.

And before he fully fell asleep, he felt Garnet press a comforting kiss to his forehead.

* * *

"No! Please, not again!" Steven cried, backing up from them again.

His worst fear had come true; it was happening again. The puppetmaster monster had found its way to Beach City, to the temple. And the Gems had been caught off guard. He took their wills greedily, and forced his upon them like a sick dictator.

Steven found himself backed up on the beach, the hungry waves of the sea lapping the shore excitedly, as if Steven was its next meal.

He kept backing up, the puppet Gems stalking towards him menacingly. He glanced at their shining weapons, clean but ready for more bloodshed. They couldn't break free last time, they couldn't do it this time. It didn't matter how much he pleaded… the only way to bring them back was to fight the puppetmaster!

Steven's eyes narrowed in determination, and he bolted after the monster, ducking and dodging the attacks from his puppet friends. They gave chase, of course. But this time, something was different. The Gems were too fast for him this time; he realized that the puppetmaster was over pushing his friends!

His anger made him faster, but the Gems were too fast to outrun. He just had to make it to the puppetmaster… That's all he had to do!

But he suddenly realized his error; he couldn't fight this thing! He had no weapons, no defenses, and as much as he wanted to believe, he had no strength to touch the monster, much less defeating it.

He stopped running. Steven took a look at the monster, its face twisted into a psychotic grin, and then at his puppet friends, the beast's mind over their wills.

He hung his head. It was over. He'd failed. His Gem pulled up a bubble, but he knew it wouldn't do much good at all. He'd lost; they'd lost. This damn beast had taken his friends away, and there was nothing he could do.

"I'm sorry… Garnet… Amethyst… Pearl… everyone…" He mumbled sadly, and closed his eyes.

He heard the familiar popping of his small bubble, and everything went black.

* * *

He woke up screaming. Steven, still alive, still fine, awoke from that horrible nightmare, tears streaming down his face.

The Gems, startled, looked at him worriedly. "Steven! What's wrong?"

He said nothing for a little bit, he just focused on calming down. It had only been an awful dream… it hadn't been real. So why did he still feel like he'd failed his dear friends?

"Steven! Talk to us!" Pearl said frantically, taking hold of his shoulders and staring him in the eyes.

"I...I'm fine. It was… just a nightmare, that's all." He said finally, after his panic was gone.

The Gems let out a relieved breath. Pearl pulled him into a tight hug, for her sake rather than his.

"You really had us scared there, Steven. We thought… maybe…" She broke off, gazing at the cut in his side she'd made and quickly averted her eyes guiltily.

Steven caught this little motion, and his face turned into a frown. "Guys, _please_. You can't dwell on past things. This," he pointed to his injuries, "this is the past now. You have to focus on the present, and even the future. I'm fine now, really! I'm fine, but you're not. And I want to help."

They looked at him, stunned. Cat Amethyst sighed. "He does know."

Garnet sighed, crouching beside the boy. "Steven… It's not something we can get over in a day. We hurt you, physically hurt you. Something we'd never do, but it's happened. It makes even us stop and think about it, and we're guilty. Hopefully, you'll never have to hurt someone you-"Her voice cracked at the end, and she couldn't continue.

Steven looked down. He started to cry again, hugging Garnet for all it was worth.

She hugged him back, alarmed. "Steven? Are you-?"

"I'm not crying because of my wounds. I'm not in any physical pain." He said, looking at all of them with guilty, teary eyes. "I'm crying because I can feel your emotional turmoil and I can't make you forgive yourselves."

Pearl blinked. "Steven… we'll try to forgive ourselves. For you."

Steven sniffled, smiling slightly. They forced smiles back, and he retreated under his covers. He began to drift off again, but before he did, he heard small, heartbreaking sobs from his friends.

He vowed to help them heal their hearts.

* * *

**I'll say it. The chapter's shorter. I know :P I couldn't fit anything else I had in mind in the chapter.**

**So here's a question: Steven's dream... is it as fake as he thinks?**

**I hope you enjoyed! If you're a new reader, don't forget to review! It was you guys that made me continue, after all! :3**


	3. Fatherly Advice

**I'm glad you all like this story. But no good stories come without complications.**

**It may not sound like it based on my writing, but I'm only a 13 year old girl. Well, 14 in about a month. I've been told before that I sound like a 16-21 year old.**

**But yeah. 13. Which means I'm still in school, folks. So I'm not gonna lie, I do get good amounts of homework. So be warned- weekdays will most likely break the chain of 1 update per day.**

**-Peridot**

* * *

Steven awoke from his slumber to meet the glowing colors from the sunset. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked around, finding the Gems still there. None of them were moving, except for the even, steady breathing causing their chests to rise and fall.

Upon looking closer, he saw the ghost of the tear streams. They'd cried themselves to sleep.

Steven silently got out of bed, leaving them to their hopefully peaceful rest. He quietly opened the front door, cringing as it creaked. Luckily, they didn't awake.

He needed help. He didn't know what else he could do to help the Gems out of their depression. He needed advice from someone, but he couldn't ask them.

"Dad! I bet he can help me!" Steven exclaimed as he strolled down the beach, enjoying the gentle winds and the calming roar of the shore waves. The sunset painted a picture of wonder over Beach City, and he enjoyed the peaceful scene as much as he could.

He took his time walking through the city. The sunset was thinning the number of people in the streets, but the lights that illuminated the city at night were beginning to turn on.

As he finally reach the car wash, the silhouette of his father and his van came into sight.

"Steven!" His father called, running over the greet his son. "Oh my gosh! Your face! What happened?!"

Steven sighed, helping himself up on top of the van. Greg joined his son.

"Dad, I'm going to be completely honest in this story. Please don't interrupt or judge until I finish." He said firmly.

Greg was taken aback, but he nodded. "Alright kiddo. What's this story you have for me?"

Steven told him everything; about the puppetmaster, about how he forced the gems to hurt him, about how they were terribly depressed about their actions. And Greg listened intently, his emotions clear on his face but he upheld his promise; he waited for Steven to finish his story.

"So.. this monster forced the Gems to do that to you? Are you okay? Steven, what if they'd killed you?" Greg asked, terrified of the outcomes that thankfully hadn't happened.

"I was pretty scared… they were going to kill me. But it wasn't them, it was the puppetmaster. They came after me when we got back, and made the apologies of their life. I've already forgiven them, but they're still beating themselves up about it, and I don't want that for them. Dad, what can I do? I don't know how to help them…" Steven mumbled sadly, looking down at his swinging feet.

Greg sat silent for a moment, thinking. "Well, I don't know how Gems react with their emotions. Rose never really showed much variation during my time with her. She was always so happy to see me. But... " he paused, trying to find the right words. "Back when you were younger, whenever you were scared or did something you felt bad about, you'd come to me. And I'd just sit there with you, holding you until you felt better. And I'd just sit there with you, holding you until you felt better. Just me being there was enough for you. Maybe it'll work the same for them."

Steven thought about his father's words, then realized something. "Oh my gosh! I didn't tell them I came here, they had been asleep! What if they woke up and found me gone?! Oh man, I messed up! They're going to be worried sick!" He shouted in dismay, launching off of the van.

"Wait, Steven! Don't push yourself too hard, please? I don't want you hurt anymore than you should be." He called, his worry for his son breaking through.

Steven nodded determinedly, then began to head back to the temple. "Thanks, dad!"

He came back as quick as he wanted to go, pushing the door to the house open as quietly as possible. If there was a chance they were still asleep, he still didn't want them to wake up.

He made his way back up the steps, finding that the Gems hadn't moved. But as he tip-toed back to his bed, Garnet stirred and woke up.

"Steven…?" She asked quietly, spotting the boy awake and up.

Steven froze, before turning to the red fusion sheepishly. "Hey Garnet… uh… did you have a good rest?"

Garnet was silent, and she brought her hands up to her face, wiping away the stray tears that had clung to her cheeks.

Steven pouted, staring at her. He remembered what his dad had said at the point, about just being there for them. He had vowed to heal them, and so he'd do anything to achieve that goal. He stepped closer to Garnet shyly, before sitting on her lap and hugging her lightly.

"I talked to my dad, and I think I know how to heal you guys…" He whispered. "I know that you're hurting, and I understand. I'm here for you, I'm here for you all. If you need a shoulder to cry on, or even just the company, I'll stay for as long as you guys need. I'll stay for as long as it takes to heal you."

Garnet was stiff for a moment, processing the boy's words. Then Steven felt her arms encircle his body softly, and felt her bury her face in his hair.

"Steven, I'm sorry. This… this incident could've been avoided. I should've used my future vision to see what could've happened. If I'd known that we'd be vulnerable like that, I would've had you stay here." She said guiltily.

Steven shook his head. "But if I hadn't come, you would've been trapped as his puppets forever! The only reason we escaped is because I ran to the warp pad, and thankfully you chased. I guess the warp was too far for the puppetmaster to keep his hold on you."

Garnet shrugged; he did have a point. She sighed, stroking a hand atop his head. "Thank you, Steven. For being here."

Steven smiled up at the fusion brightly. "Anything for you guys."

Garnet smiled back, her cautious shell breaking. She picked him up happily, nuzzling him lovingly. Steven giggled happily, his heart warmed now that he'd fixed one of them.

"I'm so glad you're back to your old self, Garnet. I don't think I could take anymore where you were depressed. I don't like any of you three being depressed." He said truthfully.

While Garnet was cuddling him, he glanced at Amethyst and Pearl, who were somehow still unconscious. One down, two to go, Steven thought inwardly.

* * *

**Steven will have his therapy time with all the Gems, don't worry. I find myself going in an order a lot. Amethyst's next.**

**YEAH SO AFTER ALL THAT SAD CRAP I PUT YOU GUYS THROUGH I FELT LIKE YOU NEEDED SOMETHING TO LIGHTEN UP**

**Reviews are what drive me! I'm so glad that people are reading my SU Fanfictions. I try to advertise them on my Instagram but I have no idea if anyone actually comes to read them.**


	4. Big Sister Amethyst

**Aye, I surprised some of you with my age, didn't I? Lol. Don't think I'm a rusty amateur to Literature. I've been pursuing this field since 4th grade, the first time I have that Giant writes test. %90 of that year we spent practicing writing Narratives and Expositories. I found it absolutely fun while the rest of my class always complained.**

**Just recently, I won in the Short Story category for my school's Literary Fair. It's gone off the county level now, I believe. Idk.**

**I also once entered a writing contest for Doctor Who. It wasn't official, but it was to be published to collect money for charity. I did make it past the first cut, I made it through a lot of cuts. But they sadly didn't use mine. Ah, well. That short story is on my Fanfiction List. It's the one titled 'The Beast That Won The War'.**

**Anyways, enough about me. Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

After Steven had his time with Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst had woken up. Garnet had been the one to bear bad news, they had to go on a mission. Of course, while she had said this, Amethyst and Pearl looked a bit worriedly at Steven, who was engrossed in the T.V. with his video game.

"I don't want to leave him here alone, Garnet! Someone has to stay with him in case of… complications while we're away." Pearl insisted.

"I'll stay." Amethyst offered up suddenly.

Pearl was stunned. "Oh… alright then! That problem was solved quicker than I hoped."

Garnet nodded. "Let's go, Pearl."

The two warped away in the brilliant stream of light, and the house was silent except for the sound effects from Steven's game blasting.

Steven, who wasn't paying much attention to anything in his surroundings except his T.V. screen, didn't hear the familiar sound of Amethyst's shape-shifting.

It wasn't until he heard a quiet meow from the stairs did he pause his game and look in its direction.

He turned to see an unusually timid cat Amethyst. He blinked, watching her stare back at him.

"Do you wanna watch me play, Amethyst?" Steven offered after a moment of awkward silence and stares.

Amethyst snapped out of her daydreaming, putting on a laid-back, 'whatever' face and nodded. Silently, she padded over to him and sat behind him on his bed. The pair fell into silence again, Steven playing his game and Amethyst just laying there silently.

_Amethyst is never this silent. Something's wrong._ Steven thought to himself. He sighed, pausing the game and turning to his feline-formed friend.

"Amethyst, it's okay to talk about whatever's wrong. I said I'd be here for you guys. All of you." He said kindly.

Amethyst didn't keep his gaze as she looked down at the bedsheets. She silently shape-shifted back to her original form and came to sit right next to Steven.

"I just don't understand how easy it was for you to forgive us. It's like you don't even care that we hurt you." She responded in a tone void of happiness.

Steven frowned at her. "I do care. I realized it happened, but your actions after it happened show me how much you care about me. Amethyst, do you really think I'd expect you guys to hurt me like that?"

Amethyst shook her head quickly. "No! It's just… I'm having trouble forgiving myself."

_That's the reason._ He said to himself. "Amethyst, it's okay. Everyone has their own pace to getting better. I'm going to help you down that path, so you don't have to travel it alone."

Amethyst was looking down, hiding behind her hair. She stayed like that for awhile, before she looked at him shyly with a small smile, one eye hidden behind her hair.

Steven grinned back, celebrating his continuous success. He grabbed the second controller on the other side of his bed and presented it to her, a playfully challenging smile now residing on his face.

She smirked, taking the controller and plugging it in. When she read the title on the game they were going to play, she shouted in excitement.

"Oh, I'm so gonna crush you!"

* * *

When Pearl and Garnet came back, they were met with loud screaming.

"Amethyst, come on! Let me get the smash ball at least once!"

"No way, dude! I'm gonna destroy you all!"

"But we're on the same team! Amethyst!"

Garnet and Pearl looked at each other with raised eyebrows. They walked up the stairs to find Amethyst and Steven playing some video game on the device hooked up to his T.V.

"What on Earth is going on?" Pearl asked, irritated by the loudness of their voices.

"Pearl! Garnet! You're back! Here, I have two more controllers, you guys can join us!" Steven shouted excitedly, pausing the current game he and Amethyst had going and handed the two gems a controller.

Pearl seemed a bit edgy. "I rather not… that game seems too violent."

Steven pouted. "Aww, come on! It's only Super Smash Bros! Best player vs. player game I have!"

Amethyst scoffed. "Ah, it doesn't matter. Pearl's just too scared to lose to me!" she goated purposely.

Pearl gave her a glare, before tilting her head up and away. "Nice try, but that won't work on me. I'm going to be in my room."

Pearl walked off into the temple, soon after followed by Garnet, who eventually got bored of watching Amethyst beat Steven in every 1v1. Soon, the sky outside got dark, but they kept playing until it was completely dark outside.

"Aww man, I lose again!" Steven whined, Amethyst beating him for what seemed the one millionth time.

"Don't be discouraged, Steven! I don't think anyone would be able to beat me!" She bragged.

Steven laughed. "I'm glad you're feeling better Amethyst. I missed your mischievous spirit!"

She grinned crazily at him. "Oh, I missed it! I've got a ton of pent up energy, I gotta go prank a bunch of people now!"

Steven watched her shift into her cat form once more and run out the door, cackling at the potential of her plans.

Steven yawned, deciding it was time to get some rest. He got himself ready for bed and fall upon his pillows, eyes closing.

* * *

Steven awoke to the sound of the Temple door opening. He blinked, keeping one eye open as a figure passed through the house and silently stepped outside, the door falling back to place with a gentle creak.

He listened intently for a little bit and sure enough, he heard the hatefully familiar sound of crying. This would not do at all.

He hauled himself out of bed tiptoeing quietly down the stairs and across the wood floor until he reached the door. With a quiet sigh, he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Peeking out the door window, he spotted the only catch in his current successes.

"Pearl..." He whispered sadly, his hands balling into fists. She was the last one to fix. But Steven knew Pearl would be the hardest to heal. She was the hardest on herself, he'd seen the way she'd been before.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open, cringing as it creaked.

Pearl took a sudden breath, hearing the door open, but she didn't turn around.

Steven stepped out onto the balcony with her, letting the door close behind him. Nervously, he decided then to pipe up.

"Pearl...?"

* * *

**I hate Math. I'm adding this in right before I post. I'm doing Algebra crap right now when I already did this part and it didn't save and I got a 0 for it :l**

**Spare me.**


	5. Pearl And Her Pain

**Oof... This one's a bit late. I feel like my school is like FNaF 1; As the week goes on, the more homework I get... Ah, whatever.**

**I'm so gonna fail the Math EOC...**

* * *

"Pearl…?"

Pearl didn't respond, she kept her place staring out at the beach from the balcony, the quiet sniffles continuing.

"Pearl, please! You're the only one who hasn't forgiven yourself, but you promised! You promised to forgive yourself for me!" Steven pleaded.

"Steven…" Pearl whispered with a shuddering breath, "there's reasons to why I can't forgive myself, and I'm sorry. But it's harder for me to do what the other Gems have done, because… I feel like because I hurt you, I hurt her as well."

Steven was stunned into silence.

"You have Rose's Gem, Steven, you are the reincarnation of her. You… in a way, you are her." She continued, shoulders shaking.

_She's always had a different bond with mom than the other gems… I should've predicted this._ Steven thought, unsure of how to respond.

"Steven, I'm sorry… but I've broken my promise." She said tearfully.

Steven was silent. He had been doing so well healing the Gems, he couldn't just let Pearl wallow in her sadness forever! But what could he say? He wasn't prepared for this.

"No."

Pearl's head shot up, turning around to face him in surprise. "W-what?"

"I said no!" He said firmly, staring at Pearl with a strong, fierce gaze.

Pearl stared at him, confused, her eyes shining with the tears reflecting the moon's light.

"I'm not going to let you break your promise! I won't! I made a promise myself, I promised to heal you guys, no matter what! Pearl…" He stopped, trying to find the right words. "I know you loved mom in a different way than Garnet and Amethyst, and I know why you feel this way. But I'm not my mom, I'm just her son."

Pearl looked down at the boy, blinking through the tears that leaked down her face, dripping down the the wood floor of the balcony. Suddenly, her tears began to fall faster, and she let out a strangled cry, kneeling down and hugging Steven tightly.

"That's okay… Just let it all out, okay?" Steven said softly, hugging his poor friend back as she cried.

Steven stood there for her as she cried out all of her held in feelings, he listened to every one of the wracked sobs with a shattering heart. No one should have to be put through such feelings, especially his friends and family! But he continued to listen, he continued to be there. No matter what.

Slowly, her wracking sobs became smaller sniffles, until he couldn't hear her crying anymore. She just kept holding him, and he let her.

"Steven…" Pearl whispered, pulling back from hugging and looking at the boy with bloodshot but soft eyes.

"Are you… okay now, Pearl?" Steven asked hopefully, giving her a small smile.

She didn't return it.

"Steven… I'm sorry. I feel like I've offended you…" She mumbled.

Steven was taken aback, looking at her confused. "What? How?"

"I've been seeing you as Rose in another form when I should've been looking at you as her son. You're right; you're not her, even though you have her Gem. You're a person too, and I was too blind to see you."

He stood stunned, wondering why he'd never realized this. "Pearl, I never knew…"

Her eyes widened, and he saw tears starting to form back. "Then that makes what I've been doing all that worse…" Her voice cracked, signaling another possible outburst.

Steven yelped, hugging Pearl again. "Please don't cry again. Please."

Pearl brought a hand up to her face, covering her eyes. Her pain was deeper than Steven had originally thought, and he didn't know what to do. He'd been caught off guard and now his chances of succeeding with all of them were slipping away, like sand in between his fingers.

He was so deep in his own thoughts that he didn't hear the faint sound of the Temple door opening, or even the door behind him. He didn't hear the creak of the squeaky door and didn't hear the small footsteps stopping behind him.

"Garnet… Amethyst…" Pearl mumbled quietly.

"Pearl, holding onto these emotions aren't good for you." Garnet said, crouching down and putting her arms on Steven's shoulders. "You need to let Steven heal you like he healed us, before it gets too bad."

Pearl's gaze was returned by Steven, Garnet, and Amethyst. Their soft yet sad stares was too much for her to bare, and she bolted back inside, the sound of the temple door opening breaking the silence of the night.

Steven had no words to say; he just stared at the wooden door to the house. He wondered what he did wrong, had he touched on her pain too late? Was it really impossible to fix her?

Garnet sighed. "She needs her alone time. I think you've done all you can for her now, Steven. She needs to figure the rest out herself."

"I feel like I failed, Garnet." He said, his upset mood clear as day in his tone of voice.

"Hey, cheer up Steven. You tried, and that's what counts. And you helped us, right? That's two out of three! Besides, I don't say this very often, but Pearl's a tough one. She can get through this, and on the slim chance she doesn't, we'll help you out next time." Amethyst promised, helping Steven off of the balcony floor.

Steven smiled. "Thanks, guys. I guess… we just wait until morning to see if Pearl's okay?"

Garnet adjusted her shades. "It's the only thing we can do for her right now. As for you," she said, looking at Steven as he yawned, "you're going back to bed. You need your sleep, and it's pretty late."

Steven blinked a couple of times, his eyes drooping. "Alright."

Steven went back up to his door while Garnet and Amethyst lingered outside. Steven could hear them talking, but he couldn't make out any words before he fell asleep.

* * *

When Steven woke up again, the sun was shining through the open windows. He blinked against the light, his eyes hissing at its harshness. He sat up and rubbed his light-sensitive eyes, before hearing the temple door opening again.

He looked to see it was Pearl's door. He sat on his bed, completely still, as Pearl stepped out, her face void of emotions as she returned his gaze.

Slowly, she made her way over to the stairs, climbing up them and stopping beside his bed. They were enveloped in complete silence and the world seemed to stand still with them. Then, Pearl took a seat on the edge of his bed, and swiftly pulled him into a hug without warning.

Steven, caught off guard, gave a little shout. He hugged back, afraid that she'd start crying again.

But she never did. She just sat there with him in her arms, and Steven understood. She just wanted him to be there with her.

"Thank you, Steven."

He closed his eyes, relaxing into her embrace. He'd done it. He'd fixed them all.

* * *

**Gah, a four day gap. Ew. Oh well.**

**Let's just say I hit a lot of walls on how to write this chapter without it becoming OOC. I strive.**

**R&amp;R?**


	6. Tainted Escapes

**Ugh, more delays. Sorry. Finals and EOCs are coming around, along with a bunch of projects that I haven't even started. School's just being an annoying little fly where I can't find the flyswatter.**

**Shipping warning. **

* * *

It was a couple hours later after Steven had woke up from that stressful night. He was hanging out with Connie while the Gems had their own time to do whatever they wanted, free from him being a cute distraction. They were near the lighthouse, having the grandest old time while Steven told stories of his adventures with the Gems, and discussing little bits of books they've read.

"Oh! Connie, I want to show you some cool games I have for my game console! I think you'd like this one, it's called The Legend of Zelda, it's about this character named Link who has to save the world from darkness, and save the character named Zelda… and it's like Lisa, because he sometimes has guides to help him! In this one, he has a character named Midna… I really wanna show you, come on!" Steven said, grabbing her hand as he tried pulling.

When he did, he pulled a little bit too hard, and his side complained. He winced, letting go of Connie's hand and clutching his side in pain. The pain took a little bit of time before it went away, but when he looked up at Connie, she was worried beyond anything else.

"Steven? Are you okay?" She asked.

Steven sighed. As much as he thought of Connie as a best friend, he hadn't wanted to tell her of those recent events. But now that it was up, he couldn't blow it off.

"I'm fine now, I guess. It's a long story, but I wanna show you this game, so come on!" He said cheerfully, trying to avoid explaining.

But Connie sat on the ground, staring at him intently. He sighed.

"You want to know what happened."

"Steven, of course I want to know. You're hurt!" She replied.

Sighing again, the boy sat next to her, and told her the whole story. And to watch her expression change to one of horror, was probably the worst thing he had to do. What was this feeling? Could it be?

"Steven… I'm so sorry you even had to go through that. Not to worry you or anything… but it sounds like you left the puppetmaster monster free. What happens if you never beat it?" She asked softly.

"I don't know. I'm just glad the Gems are safe and back to normal. I don't know what I would've done if I had to leave them there with that beast. They're my family now… I want to protect them. I want to protect you all…"

Connie averted her eyes while trying to hide a small blush. "Steven, that's real sweet of you. You must really love the Gems, don't you."

Steven nodded, noticing her blush but deciding not to mention it. "I do. I care for everyone here… The Gems, dad, Lars, Sadie, the whole town… You."

She turned to face him, her eyes wide. "S-steven…"

He stayed silent. What was he doing? Was this even a good idea…?

Connie tilted her head, staring at him with an unreadable expression. And with a sudden, unstoppable motion, she pressed her lips to his.

Steven's eyes shot wide open, his mind exploding with a million questions and a bit of panic; he didn't know what to do. Connie's eyes were closed, he noted, and before long, his eyes closed to.

The next thing the both of them knew, they started to hear a magical sort of noise...

* * *

Steven blinked, opening his eyes slowly and surely. He looked in front of him, and Connie was gone. He gasped, or more, they gasped.

"We fused again?" Steven asked, bewildered.

"Oh… well… Is that normal?" Connie asked him.

Steven shrugged their now shared body. "I honestly have no idea. I can barely understand the Gem powers I hold myself… But hey, we're an experience again, right? Might as well make the best of it!" He said cheerfully.

Connie made them laugh. "Alright!"

They began to walk aimlessly, at one point ending up in the arcade near the beach. They played a couple of games together before they ran out of tokens they had on hand.

"Well, that was fun!" Steven said, upbeat, as they strolled peacefully down the boardwalk, gazing out to the sparkling crystalline waters as the sun descended below it.

"Yeah, I guess it was." Connie replied softly, obvious that something was on her mind. "Hey, Steven? About earlier… before we fused again…"

Steven made them stop, and scratch the back of their neck. "Uh… yeah…?"

Connie chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry… about that… I don't know what came over me. I really… just felt like I needed to do that."

Steven didn't know how to respond well to that. "Well… uh.."

Unfortunately, he didn't have any time to respond properly, because just as he tried, the ground began to shake, and a loud rumbling sound began to terrorize the poor people of Beach City.

Connie shouted in surprise, stabilizing their balance as the boardwalk shook. "What is going on?!"

Steven yelped. "I don't know!" He turned them around, and saw a mountain of sand and water erupting near the temple. He and Connie gasped.

"Steven, what is that?!"

"I don't know! Whatever that is, it can't be good!"

The two of them began running as fast as they could towards the eruption on the beach and the temple, confused and worried about what was happening. By the time they got there, the plume of water and sand had settled, but the house that was before them seemed too ominous.

"Connie… I don't think it's a good idea for you to be here." Steven said firmly.

"But we don't exactly know how to unfuse!" She replied.

Steven sighed. "Right, I forgot. Sorry. Just… be careful, okay?"

"Steven, we're sharing the same body. I'm about as safe as you are. Literally."

"Point taken."

They crept towards the house, on the full alert. It wasn't long before they are a menacing growling coming from the house's roof. They took a step back, and a pair or red eyes appeared on a shadowed figure sitting atop the temple house.

"No!" Steven cried, recognizing the thing.

As if on cue, three forms came forth forcefully from inside the house, the door flying off its hinges. The three forms landed right in front of them, their pitch black eyes staring down the pair with an icy cold expression.

"The Gems?!" Connie asked, confused.

"This is no amateur monster!" Steven cried fearfully, making them back up again.

The Gems, eyes black as pitch, stepped forward.

"The puppetmaster monster is back!"

* * *

**To be honest, Stevonnie isn't even needed at all in this story, but I kinda wanted to put a little twist into it... Yep.**

**I'msorryforbeingsuchStevonnietrash**

**There wasn't a lot of CUTE OVERLOAD so I kinda just like**

***Bloodbends Steven &amp; Connie***

**NOW KISS**


	7. Stronger Than Him

**There's not a lot of the story left btw, guys. Maybe 1 or 2 chapters after this one... I haven't decided yet. I mean I'm sure I can pointlessly stretch it out to 20 chapters where they talk about stuff pointless to the plot, but I rather not.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"No! Please, not again!" Steven cried, backing Stevonnie up from them.

His worst fear had come true; it was happening again. The puppetmaster monster had found its way to Beach City, to the temple. And the Gems had been caught off guard. He took their wills greedily, and forced his upon them like a sick dictator.

Steven suddenly halted the body Connie and he shared, Stevonnie's face draining of all color.

"Steven! What's wrong?!" Connie asked fearfully, keeping their eyes fixed on the puppet Gems.

"This whole time… I saw this happening! It was my dream, my nightmare, this entire situation was my nightmare! I just didn't remember what had happened before I fell asleep! Garnet! She kissed my forehead, she must've given me future vision! And I didn't realize!" He cried, angry at himself for failing his friends.

"Steven, we can't give up! If we let the monster keep the Gems forever, who's going to protect the city? The WORLD?"

"I know, I know! But… there was nothing we could do… I died in that dream, Connie!" Steven blurted.

Connie was caught off guard. "W-what?"

The puppet master roared angrily, getting tired of the non-violence. He stared hungrily at the puppet Gems, and they began advancing.

Steven yelped, knowing where this was going, backpedaling away from them, further out into the beach. He was playing right into fate's hand.

The puppet Gems kept advancing, and Steven was starting to panic.

"I know what happens next! Connie, I have to try to take the puppet master!" Steven shouted, bolting past the puppet Gems and heading right for the beast.

"Steven, no! You're going to get us hurt!" Connie cried, trying to stop Stevonnie, but Steven was too strong. "Steven!"

Panting heavily, Stevonnie was hurdling towards the puppet master monster with such an enraged face, it even made the beast do a double take.

Steven began screaming as they ran, getting closer and closer. He had no plan, no way to hurt the beast, but he would kill it. He would crush its gem for what it's done. It didn't deserve to live.

"Steven!" Connie shouted, aghast. She could hear his thoughts, sharing the same body, and she was horrified at what she was hearing. "Steven, stop! This isn't like you! I know that we might die by this thing, but you've never thought like this! Look what the beast is doing to you!"

Steven didn't reply, he only ran faster. They were so close to the puppet master monster. It bared its fangs, opening its mouth wide with the corners tilted upwards in an evil smirk. Connie knew this wasn't right. This had to stop.

"Enough! I won't let you become a murderer! I won't let us!" She screamed, pushing against his control on their body and forcing them to stop suddenly. She halted them strongly, and Steven couldn't continue running.

"Connie, what are you doing?!" He roared in a panic, "I died like this! This was how my dream ended! You need to let me fight him!"

Connie was taken aback, realizing what she'd done was a deadly mistake. But it was too late, the puppet Gems were surrounding them, eyes hungry and frozen. They were crystal clear mirrors, the puppet master's face reflecting out of their soul's windows.

Fearfully, the pair were engulfed with silence as they shared the last moment they'd have together.

"Connie… I'm sorry...I failed you, and I failed them… I failed everyone. If this really is the end…" He hesitated. "I want you to know how much I care about you."

"Steven…" Connie said sadly. "I care about you too…"

The familiar sound of Steven's bubble surrounded them, and they prepared for it all to end. This was it. They'd failed.

The puppet master let out a sound that could only be classified as laughing, and he roared. The puppet Gems advanced, puppet Garnet punching the bubble into a million pieces.

Stevonnie shut her eyes, and waited for the finishing blow to come.

…

But it never came.

Stevonnie, shocked, opened her eyes to see the Gems frozen in their poses, but heard the sound of them struggling. They were fighting the beast!

"If you think…we're gonna let you hurt the one… we love again…you've got another thing coming!" Garnet forced out, turning her head towards the puppet master with an enraged snarl.

"Yeah! Ain't...nobody gonna make me hurt… my biggest fan!" Amethyst roared.

"You cannot make us fight… anymore!" Pearl cried.

Stevonnie grinned wildly, suddenly hearing a lion's roar. Lion dropped down in front of Stevonnie, dipping his head and showing his mane. Stevonnie reached in and pulled out Rose's sword, pointing it towards the puppet master monster while climbing on Lion's back.

"You underestimated the power of the Crystal Gems!" Stevonnie shouted triumphantly as the Gems fully broke out from the beast's grip and stood beside her.

The puppet master narrowed its eyes furiously, letting out an ear-splitting roar as it jumped off the house roof and onto the beach, ready for a showdown.

"Gems, do your thing!" Garnet shouted, and they advanced on the beast.

The beast charged at them, all defensive measures it was built with active to their full extent, but it was no longer a threat to the gems.

Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl gave the beast a good, hard beating as they dodged its attacks, moving with such determined grace that they were blurs of bravery.

"It's almost done!" Pearl shouted.

The injured puppet master roared, getting tired of this turned tide. it swung its massive tail, managing to hit all three Gems and shooting them across the city. It then turned to Stevonnie and Lion, roaring at them as a challenge.

Stevonnie's gem glowed bright pink, and on her free arm appeared her shield. In her eyes was the fire of a thousand suns burning all at once.

"Let's go, Lion!" Stevonnie ordered, and Lion began running at it.

The beast did the same, caught in the sudden jousting match between the four of them. Stevonnie started yelling, raising the sword up above her head, and finally taking the final swing at it's gem, hitting the target with deadly accuracy. Lion stopped right in front of the writing beast, before a brilliant white light exploded from its body and dying gem.

The next thing they all knew, the world went black.

* * *

**Lol I sorta rushed it because I wanted to get this done right now and my mom's screaming at me to get off the computer.**

**13-year-old-problems**

**Also, I made a Fan Voice SU Instagram account. It's StevenCrewniverse, I voice Jasper. I think I do really well. Anyone wanna check that out? xD**

**R&amp;R! Tell me what you thought!**


	8. Something Better

**Neon the guest, you need to chill man. xD I would've said something if I were to stop this story before it ended. Which, I might add, it is. Heads up. Last Chapter.  
**

**Finals are over, school ends June 4. Sooooooooo yep. I'm 14 now btw xD I had a fun Birthday~**

* * *

Stevonnie's eyes opened slowly, and they were met with a lonely black. She had no ground beneath her feet, there was nothing around her. The only thing she could see was blackness.

"What happened?" She asked herself. When she got no response, she realized that Steven and Connie's consciousness' were deathly quiet. She couldn't hear them. That didn't make her feel good.

"Where am I? Am I dead? Someone answer me!" She shouted, but nothing returned her question.

Then, out of the cold, dark world Stevonnie found herself in, a light shone and a familiar Gem appeared.

"No… I killed you!" Stevonnie shouted angrily, as the gem glowed and the body of the puppet master monster formed in front of her.

The puppet master monster fully formed, but something was different. Its eyes weren't narrowed, they were soft. It made no move to attack her.

"You have killed me. I don't have much time. Look at my gem." It said calmly.

Stevonnie spared a look at it's gem, and realized what it meant. The gem was cracked, and she could hear it cracking further.

"Where are we?" She asked it.

"In your mind. In reality, I'm already dead. But I'm spending the last few moments of my life here, explaining why I do what I did." It replied.

"Really?"

"I should start with an apology. My monstrous actions cannot be excused, and I know this now. I know everything now, and you taught me."

"How did I teach you anything?" Stevonnie asked, confused.

It sighed, chuckling lightly. "I didn't realize you hadn't known. I had controlled your friends before, and when I had the chance to take you, I didn't. I didn't because I couldn't. You are made of two pure souls, Stevonnie. Pure souls resonating with something I've struggled to understand: love."

Stevonnie's mouth formed an 'o' as she digested its words.

"Do you wonder why I take over your friends? Because I can feel the love they have for you; it had sickened me, poisoned me with envy. And it scared me, that such an emotion could be so powerful. I wondered if I was the only one void of this emotion, and I didn't want to be alone. So… I figured if they'd done something horrible to you, that emotion would cease to exist. But instead, it just grew stronger. Your friends overpowered my will. But then I tried to take you... " It hesitated.

"And you saw something better. Instead of trying to take it away, you realized to quell your fears, you had to embrace it." Stevonnie finished.

The puppet master nodded, its mouth turning up at the ends. It was smiling. "And now, finally this old, corrupt gem will find peace. Thank you, Stevonnie."

Stevonnie gasped as a loud, ear splitting crack rang out through the dark. She watched the puppet master as its monstrous form shattered, and from the shattered pieces a human form was reconstructed. It was a male-looking gem, but even that form was starting to crack.

"Do you remember anything about your life before you got...corrupted?" Stevonnie asked.

"No… but there was one thing…." He said, his voice echoing like they had walls surrounding them. "My name… was Corundum…"

Stevonnie stepped back as a blinding white light exploded from the cracked gem, and when the white faded, she was back on the beach. She was home.

Suddenly, Steven and Connie's consciousness' came slamming back, and the surprise split her back into their two bodies.

"We're back to normal again…" Steven said breathlessly. Then he spotted the transparent white fragments of what was left of the puppet- no, Corundum's gem.

Connie stared at them blankly. "She helped him find peace. In the end, he wasn't a monster anymore. We should be grateful for that."

Steven nodded slowly, swallowing hard. "Yeah." He bubbled the fragments carefully, staring at the pieces for a long time.

"Steven…" Connie said, hands laced together shyly, "he learned how to feel love from us. Does that mean…?"

He looked her in the eye, gazes matching. No words were said, but they didn't have to be. They knew.

"Steven!" Three familiar voices shouted from behind him, and he was tackled to the ground by Pearl.

"Are you alright?! I swear if that thing hurt you!"

"It's fine! We're both okay. But… Corundum isn't a monster." He stated firmly.

Pearl was taken aback. "Corundum…? Who's that?"

"The puppet master before he went corrupt. We… helped him to peace." He said, showing the Gems the bubbled gem fragments.

The three looked at each other, smiling. "Good job Steven. You too, Connie." Garnet said.

They beamed at the tall gem, grateful that this was finally over.

"Oh, the house doesn't look too happy." Amethyst commented, glancing at it. Corundum had flattened it under his weight when he was corrupt.

"Don't worry, we can rebuild it in time."

Connie noticed the sun setting. "Oh! It's going to be dark soon; I better be getting home. See you later Steven!" She said, then scampered off.

Steven glanced at his fellow Gems, replaying what Corundum had said to them before. He wasn't going to lie to himself, he sometimes found it hard to believe how much the Gems really loved him. But no matter how easy or hard it was, it would always be there. Because love is strong, love can make you kind, and love can make you kill. It could make you do anything. He realized Corundum was right; It is scary powerful, and he was glad that it was for good, not for evil.

"Hey." Steven piped up, calling the Gems' attention.

"Corundum wasn't a monster in the end. His fragments shouldn't be kept like the others. I want to keep them." He said.

They looked at each other, before nodding. "As you wish."

Steven smiled brightly at them. Same old friends he knew, and they didn't have to worry about hurting him ever again. They had been stronger than Corundum in his time of need. There was nothing that could compromise their will to protect him.

"I love you guys...you know that, right?" He asked them.

"Of course we do, Steven." Pearl said softly.

"And we love you just as much." Garnet replied, smiling.

"Group hug!" Amethyst shouted happily, tackling them all.

And the four of them lay in the sand, laughing, loving. The strings had been cut, and the sorrow was gone.

Or was it?

Unknown to them, a figure watched from beneath the waves. It chuckled to itself. They had only seen the beginning. Half of it hoped that they hadn't forgotten what lay under the ocean, and the other half planned its revenge on the traitors that had trapped it down there.

"They will perish, if it's the last thing I do!" Malachite roared, then yelped as familiar water hands forcefully dragged her back down.

"Not while I'm here!"

* * *

_**CAN YOU SMELL THE POSSIBLE SEQUEL**_

**That's it guys! Strings and Sorrow is officially over. No crying please, you'll get it all over your keyboard. (Or phone, wherever you read this)  
**

_**ShadowKnight49 Productions**_** asked what Corundum looked like, so I'll just leave a discription here.**

_Corundum is a 5'5" male looking gem. his gem is at the very top of his head, circular like Pearl's, where his hair is. He wore sort of a roman-like robe, where it hangs only on one shoulder while the other is bare, which is silver lined with cut-gem patterns on the left side. He wears no shoes._

**Like I said, I did set up the end for a possible sequel, and since it's almost summer, it has a better chance of happening instead if I had ended this in the middle of a school year.**

**WOW THIS IS THE FIRST MULTI-CHAPTER STORY I'VE EVER ACTUALLY SAW TO THE REAL END. Be proud.**

**I hope you all enjoyed! I loved writing this for you guys and reading your amazing reviews!**

**Until next time,**

**-PeridotDorito**


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